Easy-to-make kimchi

Mak-kimchi 막김치

Hi everybody,

I’m introducing “mak-kimchi” to you today! It’s made with napa cabbage (baechu in Korean), pre-cut into bite size pieces, so you can serve it without cutting. This way of making kimchi is really time saving compared to making whole cabbage kimchi. But the taste is exactly the same as whole cabbage kimchi because the ingredients are the same! So I am translating “mak-kimchi” into “easy kimchi.” I hope this recipe makes your life easier! : )

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Since I posted my whole cabbage kimchi recipe in June 2007, so many people have surprised me with their kimchi related stories and questions. A lot of my readers make their own kimchi on a regular basis and they email me the photos of their delicious kimchi! Some people modify the recipe to their taste and some people add more ingredients to invent their own kimchi!

For example, Julie made vegan kimchi. She skipped fish sauce and used a little soy sauce and salt instead. Smart! Isn’t it? Some people like Reinier, James, Sylvia, Clyde, Sara make kimchi on a regular basis. They say, “oh, my kimchi runs out, I will make it this weekend.” If any of you reading this might want to be included the list of people who make kimchi on a regular basis, please email me. I will include your names here. : )

But as you know, the kimchi recipe was not using exact measurements. You remember? I said, “use 2 medium napa cabbage and 2 radishes.” The size of cabbage is actually huge by American standards! ; ) And the amount of kimchi paste you need to make is for both cabbage kimchi and radish kimchi. Some people only want to make only cabbage kimchi. They sometimes ask me, “Maangchi, can you tell me how much salt do I have to use for only 1 napa cabbage?”
How can I know?

I didn’t measure when I filmed the first video recipe years ago. : ) Anyway, whenever I was asked the similar questions, I felt kind of bad and a little bit guilty and I always thought I should post a more accurate kimchi recipe.

Here you go! : )

So this recipe will be for a total beginner. Just follow the recipe step by step. This recipe is mine that I have been using for my kimchi for decades and popular among even my Korean friends.

If you want to use whole cabbage kimchi, you can check my whole cabbage kimchi recipe and this easy kimchi recipe, then you will figure out what to do. Only difference is how to handle cabbage: cutting , salting, and how to put or mix the kimchi paste with the cabbage!

Did you see how many questions and answers were made for my whole cabbage kimchi? So far 831 comments! These questions are the most frequently asked, so I’m letting you know this.

FAQ

Q: Maangchi, do I have to make porridge to make kimchi? If I don’t want to use porridge, what shall I do?
A: No, you don’t have to. Some people don’t use porridge, but I always make porridge to make good kimchi paste. Porridge helps hot pepper flakes, fish sauce, garlic, ginger and all spices mix together. Otherwise, the kimchi paste will be too thick to put it between cabbage leaves easily. So you can use sweet pear juice instead of making porridge if you want. I sometimes use pear to make kimchi paste, too.

Q: Why do you give a shower to the cabbage before salting? : )
A: If you sprinkle salt on cabbage directly without pre-soaking in water, the salting process will take too long: this is “osmotic pressure.”

Q: Maangchi, kimchi never goes bad? How come there is some white stuff on the top of my kimchi?
A: If you keep your kimchi properly, it won’t go bad months and months. Don’t forget to press down the top of kimchi in the container with a spoon whenever you take some. It will prevent your kimchi from being exposed to air. If you see the top of your kimchi already has white stuff (mold), remove the top layer of the kimchi and you still can eat the rest of the kimchi.

Q: Maangchi, you used squid this time! Last time your kimchi was made with raw oysters! My other Korean friends never use oysters or squid.
A: Kimchi recipes vary from region to region, so some ingredients will be different. You can follow a few different recipes and choose the best recipe that suits your taste.

Q: I’m interested in adding raw oysters or squid in my Kimchi, but afraid that it might go bad so that I may have a stomachache.
A: You should use very fresh oysters or fresh frozen product, then it will ferment along with your kimchi.

Q: Ok, Maangchi, can you tell me how to make the salty squid for kimchi?
A: Choose about 300 grams (2/3 pound) of very fresh squid. Then:

Remove the guts and backbone and rinse it.

Add 3 tbs salt and mix it with a spoon.

Put it in a container or glass jar and keep it in the refrigerator for a week.

Rinse the squid thoroughly until not slippery and drain it (you can skin it if you want).

Dry the squid with paper towel or cotton and chop it up.

Add it to your kimchi paste!

I answer many other frequently asked questions about kinchi-making in this video:

Put the kimchi paste in a large basin and add all the cabbage. Mix it by hand.*tip: If your basin is not large enough to mix all the ingredients at once, do it bit by bit.

Put the kimchi into an air-tight sealed plastic container or glass jar.You can eat it fresh right after making or wait until it’s fermented.

I usually put all my kimchi in the fridge except for a little bit in a small container. I like fresh kimchi, so this way the kimchi in the fridge ferments slowly and stays fresh, while the smaller container ferments faster and gets sour. I use this sour kimchi for making things like kimchi jjigae where sour kimchi is better. Then, when the small container is empty, I fill it up again with kimchi from the big container. It takes a little management, but experiment and you’ll get the hang of it!

How do you know it’s fermented or not?
One or 2 days after, open the lid of the Kimchi container. You may see some bubbles with lots of liquids, or maybe sour smells. That means it’s already being fermented.

Maangchi, Hello!
I was talking with my friends and someone said store bought kimchi is very salty. And I decided to make kimchi from your recipe. This is first attempt but Kamjatan was delicious!! Thank you!!

Hi Maangchi, just want to thank you for the recipe! I’ve been using your recipe for more than a year now, making multiple batches of kimchi well-loved by family and friends. We love putting it on hot rice, eating it as a side dish, cooking fried rice with it, and cooking the last bits of sour kimchi as soup. Nothing wasted and so yummy! The last round I made some with jicama and it was good too.

Hi, i can’t see the content clearly, but it seems it is fried ground shrimp in the bottle. Should avoid anything that has oil when fermenting. I use this dried shrimp (picture). Should be easy to find in asian markets.

Hi Maangchi!! I’m a huge fan of your cooking show. Been doing alot of your recipes and my family loves it. Made this kimchi and they keep requesting more!! Thank you so much for Sharing this delicious kimchi!

Hi Maangchi! We’re making kimchi today! Ah i’m so excited to show you the kimchi once it’s done but i want to ask something and it sounds dumb. If i’m gonna use around 20 pounds of nappa cabbage for the kimchi, will i be doubling the mesasurement for the rice porridge, kimchi paste and hot pepper flakes to be used? Haha. I’m so sorry, i’m just too afraid to make to much or so little of it.

Hi, Maangchi! ☺ Thank you so much for sharing this delicious kimchi recipe. I regularly make kimchi now and make them for family and friends (my father and co-workers love it very much!) This batch, I’m going to use some to make kimchi fried rice and pair with some delicious korean fried chicken. ❤ The other container I made for a friend who also loves kimchi. Thank youuu!

Hi Maanchi! I made the Easy Kimchi and tasted it before I put it in the container and it was delicious. How long does it need to be in the refrigerator before it is ready to eat? I can’t wait!!
Thank you!
Kelly

Hello Maangchi,
I am about to make my second batch of mak-kimchi. The first batch was so easy and delicious!
Thank you for giving substitutions so people who don’t have easy access to traditional ingredients can still make so, so delicious kimchi.
I look forward to all your new recipe videos, as many, many other people do.
Thank you! :)